K-9 Unit

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Law Enforcement Division started a K-9 unit in 2002. There are 5 K-9 teams distributed throughout the state. Start up costs of the program were funded by private donations and all of the K-9's were also donated. The K-9 unit uses all Labrador retrievers which are generally even-tempered and accepted by the public. The K-9s receive no aggression training and are very user friendly. K-9 teams did their initial training in Indiana with trainers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. These teams are specially trained in tracking, wildlife detection and evidence recovery. In addition to their law enforcement functions, they have also been a great tool in spreading the conservation message through public programs and demonstrations.